What causes UNRESOLVED_COLUMN?

A column was renamed in an upstream table or view but the query was not updated. A typo in the column name. Case sensitivity mismatch — Delta Lake column names are case-sensitive in some configurations. An alias used in a WHERE or GROUP BY clause before it is defined (SQL evaluation order issue). A struct field is referenced incorrectly (e.g., col.field instead of col['field'])

How do I fix UNRESOLVED_COLUMN?

Run DESCRIBE TABLE or SELECT * LIMIT 1 to get the current column names. Check for recent schema changes in the source table. Verify the column name spelling and case in the query. If referencing a struct field, use the correct syntax for the Databricks SQL dialect. Update the query to use the new column name if the column was renamed upstream

High severitysql

Power BI Refresh Error:
UNRESOLVED_COLUMN

What does this error mean?

A column referenced in the SQL query cannot be resolved against the schema of the queried table or view. This is a compilation-time error — the query is rejected before execution begins.

Common causes

1A column was renamed in an upstream table or view but the query was not updated
2A typo in the column name
3Case sensitivity mismatch — Delta Lake column names are case-sensitive in some configurations
4An alias used in a WHERE or GROUP BY clause before it is defined (SQL evaluation order issue)
5A struct field is referenced incorrectly (e.g., col.field instead of col['field'])

How to fix it

1Run DESCRIBE TABLE <name> or SELECT * LIMIT 1 to get the current column names
2Check for recent schema changes in the source table
3Verify the column name spelling and case in the query
4If referencing a struct field, use the correct syntax for the Databricks SQL dialect
5Update the query to use the new column name if the column was renamed upstream

Frequently asked questions

Can I catch schema changes before they break queries?

Yes — Delta table schema evolution can be monitored, and MetricSign tracks pipeline failures that result from schema mismatches.

Does Delta Lake enforce case-sensitive column names?

By default Delta Lake is case-insensitive for column names, but this can be overridden by configuration. Unity Catalog uses case-preserving but case-insensitive matching.